Machine for making molds.



No. 720,913. PATENTBD FEB. 17, 1903..

' F. w. HALL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING MOLDS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1902.

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No. 720,913. I PATENTED FEB. 17, 1903.

F. W. HALL.

MACHINE-FOR MAKING MOLDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1902.

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PATENTED FEB. 17, 1908;

v F. W. HALL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING MOLDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1902.

1m MODEL, 62 a SHEETS-SHEET a.

' lnmln l i Uta STATES- MACHINE FQRMAKENG MOLDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,913, dated February17, 1903.

Application filed September 26, 1902. Serial Not 124,990. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FREDERICK V. HALL, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Camden, county of Camden, State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinesfor Making Molds, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation of a machine, showing the essential featuresof my invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 isa side elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section of the sandhopper;Fig. 5, a detail of the lower end of one of .the lowering-rods; Fig. 6,a vertical transverse section through the pattern-carrier and attachedsections of the flask. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of one of thecatches forlatching the bottom board to the drag or lower section of theflask.

The object of this invention is to provide simple and inexpensivemachinery for eXpe-.

ditiously performing the operations incident to the making of molds, themolds being made in the common form of flask consisting of the cope andthe drag andb eing completed ready for the foundry, as more fullyhereinafter set forth.

In its preferred form the invention consists in the employment of atable to the upper and lower sides of which are respectively secured theupper and lower halves of thepatterns and an upper and a lower rammingdevice, whereby the sand in the cope-section and the sand in thedrag-section ofthe flask may be rammed simultaneously, means whereby thesections of the flask are detached from the patterncarrying table afterthe ramming process and the table moved laterally to one side under thesand-chute and from between the sections of the flask, means whereby thesections of the flask may be brought together after the removal of thetable and secured in the ordinary manner, thus completing the mold, andmeans whereby the pattern-table may be inverted or reversed while underthe sand-supply device, so that the drag and the cope sections may besuccessively filled with sand preparatory to moving the table -baokbetween the ramming devices after the previously-made mold has beenremoved therefrom, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A designates the main frame of themachine, which consists of suitable upright and horizontal beams.Depending from the top beams of the frame is a stationary cylinder B,and mounted stationarily on the lower beams of the frame is a similarcylinder B, these two cylinders being in vertical alinement. A commonsupply-pipe O supplies compressed air or other motive fluid to therespective upper and lower closed ends of these cylinders, thissupply-pipe being provided with a supply-valve a and each branch beingprovided with an exhaust-pipe I), connected thereto at a point betweenvalve to and the cylinder, each of these exhaust-pipes being providedwith an exhaust-valve c.

\Vorking in each cylinder is apiston D, to

the outer end of which is rigidly attached a head-plate d, and rigidlyattached to each head-plate is a pair of vertical guide-rods e, whichwork through guide-lugs f, carried by the cylinder. Normally holding upthe upper piston and this head is a pair of weights g, which are locatedat the respective sides of the machine and are connected to the sideedges of the head-plate d by a pair of ropes or cables h, which arecarried up and over pulleys c', journaled in the upper part of theframe.

Supported a short distance below the upper head-plate d isaramming-platej of the proper proportions to fit within the cope whenthe upper piston is forced down. This ramming-plate is supported by apair of vertical rods 7t, working up through holes in the headplate andeach pivotally connected to a short horizontal shaft Z, journaled insuitable brackets on top of the head-plate and carrying a pair of hooksm, which depend through slots in the head-plate.

To depress the ramming plate or head 7', a pair of levers are employed,one of which is pivoted at each side of the machine upon a bracket 0 andwhose inner ends terminate immediately above the upper ends of the rods7c and whose respective outer ends are connected by suitable cords p toa treadle or lever q, pivotally supported in the base of ISO and thendown to the treadle, so that when the treadle is depressed the outerends of the levers will be simultaneously raised and cause their innerends to bear down on the upper ends of the rods 74;.

To automatically open the exhaust-valve when the upper piston reaches apredetermined point in its downward stroke, I attach adjustably to oneof the rods e a clamp s, in which is mounted an adjustable set-screw t,which at the proper point comes in contact with and depresses the freeend of a lever tb, pivoted at a convenient point on the adjacent lugf.The other end of the lever u is pivotally connected to a vertical rod U,whose upper end is pivotally connected to a lever 10, and this lever tois in turn pivotally connected to a hand-lever 01;, which is connectedto the stem y of the upper exhaust-valve c. Vith this arrangement oflevers it will be observed that when the set-screw t depresses the freeend of lever to the stem of the exhaust-valve will be drawn down and thevalve opened, thereby permitting the release of the compressed air orother motive fluid and-the raising of the piston and its attached partsby means of the counterweights. To automatically close the exhaustbefore the piston reaches the upper limit of its stroke, and therebycushion its return to normal position, an upright rodjor finger isattached to plate din such position that as said plate at rises the rodor finger will raise the depressed end of lever u, and thus close valve0.

The stem z of the supply-valve may be drawn down and the valve therebyopened by hand; but this valve is closed automatically at apredetermined point in the movement of the lower piston by a series ofdevices similar to those employed to automatically open the exhaust ofthe upper cylinder-that is, by means of an adjustable clamp a, carryinga set-screw b, which is adapted to strike and elevate the free end of alever c, pivoted on one of the adjacent lugsfand having its opposite endpivotally connected to a vertical rod 01, whose lower end is pivotallyconnected to a lever e, which is in turn pivotally connected to thelower end of the stem of the supply-valve.

To automatically open the lower exhaustvalve 0 just after thesupply-valve is closed, a series of devices similar to those for openingthe upper exhaust-valve is employed, the adjustable clamp on one of thedepending rods e being designated by letter f and setscrew by g, thepivoted lever by h, the vertical rod by t", the intermediate lever by j,the hand-lever by and-the valve-stem by Z. To automatically close theexhaust through this lower valve 0, so as to thereby prevent the pistondescending too far and striking the bottom of the cylinder or doingother damage by jarring, I attach to the lower head 01 a depending rodm, which when the piston descends strikes on top of the free end of thedog It and through the medium of the connecting-lever automaticallycloses the exhaust-valve.

The pattern-table consists, essentially, of a rectangular box-like frame72, which is adapted to slide forward and backward between ways 0,attached to the inner sides of the re spective side beams, these waysbeing so located that the table will be supported at pointsequidistantfrom the upper and the lower heads d and in vertical alinementtherewith. One half 19' of the pattern is attached to the upper side ofthe table, together with the pattern q for the sprue, and attached tothe lower side of the table is the other half of the pattern 1",together with the gate-forming part 3 of the pattern. These parts of thepattern are secured in any suitable manner to plates t, which are set insuitable openings in the respective upper and lower sides of the tableand are bolted in place by lag bolts or screws to, passing through theplates t and into or through suitable cross-bars o. By thus attachingthe halves of the patterns to independently-removable plates newpatterns may be substituted from time to time with ease and despatch.

Midway between its forward and rear edges at each side of the table ismounted a rectangular slide-block 20', which projects laterally from theend of the table midway between its upper and lower faces. When thetable is moved rearwardly from between the ramming-plates, these blocksto pass between the rearward-projecting ways 00', and the table itselfpasses from between the main ways 0. When the table rests upon ways 0',these blocks '10 do not engage supporting-Ways, as the ways 00 terminatewhere the ways 0' begin. Each of these slide-blocks w is provided with ajournal pin or axle y, which extends through the side of thepattern-table and is journaled in a suitable bracket 2', attached to theinner wall of the table, whereby when the table is pushed back betweenthe ways a," free of the ways 0' it may be inverted, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 2, the journals 3 serving as pivots for this purpose.

After the patterns are properly fastened to the respective upper andlower sides of the pattern carrier or table the first step is to placethe drag-section a of the flask over the gate or lower section of thepattern, the table being slid out between the ways m directly under thesand chute or hopper b in order that the proper amount of sand may bedelivered into the drag. The drag is held in proper place over thepatterns by means of suitable pins 0 engaging ears on the side pieces ofthe drag. When the proper amount of sand is delivered into thedrag-section, the bottom board 61 is placed thereon and is locked inplace by means of four latches 9 which are pivoted two on the front sideof the table and two on the rear side thereof and whichare each providedwith hooked ends 1,

adapted to engage over and snap into recesses on the under side of thebottom board 61 near the edges thereof. The latches e have angularextensions g", to which are attached coilsprings 71?, the opposite endsof these springs being attached to the adjacent walls of the table.These springs tend to swing the latches away from the drag and out ofengagement with the bottom board. When the drag is thus filled andcovered and the cover is latched in place, the table is inverted on thepivots y, and then the cope i is put in place over the upper parts ofthe patterns, the cope being held removahly in place by means ofsuitable pins 3' engaging ears projecting laterally from the oppositesides of the cope. A suitable quantity of sand is then dropped into thecope from the sand-hopper b and the table is then slid forward onto theways 0. The operator then opens the valve on by hand, thereby causingthe two pistons to approach the respective sections of the flask. Thelower head (1 strikes against battens k fastened to the bottom board 61and forces the board up into the drag, thereby ramming the sand aroundthe lower half of the pattern, and when this board has passed into thedrag a short distance the springs 72 automatically release the latchesfrom the board and thecope. Then when the head at has reached apredetermined point the supply of motive liquid is cut off through themedium of the set-screw h and the parts heretofore described, andimmediately thereafter the lower exhaust c is opened by the means of theset-screw g and devices heretofore described, whereupon the head d iscaused to immediately descend until the rod m closes the exhaust. henthe head cl thus descends, the drag descends with it, the drag havingbeen released from the catches e lVhile the foregoing operations aretaking place below the pattern-table the following movements of partsare taking place above the table: As the upper piston descends theplatej enters the cope and packs the sand around the upper half of thepattern, and to complete the sprue-hole a conical pattern Z carried bythe plate ,4, enters the sand and cooperates with the part q to completethe sprue-hole, said part 15 being provided with a central depression,into which the upper end of said part q enters. Before the rammingaction takes place the platej is pressed up against head (1, and thisaction causes hooks m to swing downward and inward and engage in holes mformed in small plates fastened to the sides of the cope. Then when thesupply of motive fluid is cut off from the cylinder and the exhaust isopened by means of the devices. heretofore described the countel-weightsg automatically raise the head at and carry with it the cope, the hooksm serving to lock the cope to the head and the patterns p and q being ofcourse left attached to the pattern-table. As the cope risesspringactuated pins n strike-against the upper beveled edges of cams oand are forced outward sufficiently to pass into holes 10 formed in saidparts 0 These pins n are each slidably supported in a horizontal tube gand are normally pressed inward by a coil-spring r inclosed in saidtube, and each tube is attached to the lower end of a vertical rod 3which works vertically through the upper part of the frame and through aguide-tube t and has attached to its upper end a cord at, which cord ispassed over suitable pulleys o and is connected at its free end to acounterweight 20 whereby said rod is normally held up, its upward limitbeing determined by the position of an adjustable collar m which isadapted to abut against the under side of one of the top beams of theframe. At asuitable point each rod 3 is provided with a rule-joint 3which permits the lower end of the rod to be swung outward away from thecope and limits the inward swing of said lower end, and to normally keepsaid lower end swung inward a suitable flat spring 2 is employed at eachjoint. There are four of these rods 5 two being located at each side ofthe machine. When the upper piston, with the attached parts, is thusraised to the upper limit of its stroke, it will be seen that the copewill be supported by the four books a and the four pins or fingers Nowto detach the cope and lower it upon the drag resting on the lower head(1 (the patternta-ble having been shoved back out of the way under thesand-box preparatory to attaching and filling another cope and drag) theoperator depresses treadle q, and thereby forces down the ramming-plateand swings outward the hooks n, and simultaneously therewith theoperator takes hold of two of the tubes Q2 or two of the rods 3 or thecope itself and lowers the cope quietly until it rests upon the drag,which, as previously described, rests upon the lower head cl. Then theoperator detaches the pins n by spreading the lower hinged sections ofthe rods 3 and permits said rods to. be automatically raised by means ofthe counterweights 10 The counterweights 'w' are of such weight as tonormally hold up rods 8 but not heavy enough to prevent the operatordrawing down or lowering the cope with case. When the cops and the dragare then fastened together in the usual manner, the completed mold isslid oif head 61 onto a table 50 in front of the machine.

It is of course understood that while one operator is bringing the partsof the flask together and fastening them another operator is attachingthe parts of a new flask to the table and filling them, as beforedescribed, preparatory to pushing the table back between the rammingdevices. Any suitable devices may be employed for filling theflasksections with sand. I have shown the depending hopper 6 dividedcentrally by means of a vertical partition d forming two exits, each ofwhich is closed by a spring-actuated IIO- gate 12 which may beconveniently opened invention.

by a depending pulley-cord 0 Supported above each compartment of thehopper is a sieve C1 and supplying each sieve is an endless-beltelevator e running on an overhead shaft. By thus employing a pair ofelevators and a divided hopper the amount of sand dropped into theflask-sections may be regulated, so as to avoid waste of sand, it beingdesigned to use one of the compartments of the hopper for the cope andthe other for the drag and the speed and capacity of the elevators beingproperly proportioned to feed the exact amount of sand required for eachmold, it being evident thatin some cases more will be required for oneof the sections than for the other.

It will be observed that the construction and arrangement of parts shownand described may be greatly varied without departing from the scope ofthe claims. For instance, any other suitable devices may be employed forautomatically governing the movements of the piston and ramming deviceswithout departing from the spirit of the Also the various parts may bemade adjustable to accommodate flasks of different sizes. It may also bepossible to avoid supporting the ramming-plate j removably and employingthe hooks n, as the rods 3 and their fingers 42 may be employed to raisethe cope OK the table after the ramming operation, or other suitabledevices may be employed forthis purpose.

Having thus fully described myinvention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame,upper and lower ramming devices, an intermediate pattern-table adaptedto support the cope'on its upper side, a drag-section and means forattaching it to the under side of the pattern-table, means forsimultaneously operating the ramming devices, means for releasing thedrag and its bottom board from the pattern-table, means forautomatically lifting the cope-section off the table after the rammingoperation, and means whereby the table may be moved laterally frombetween the ramming devices.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, apattern-table, a cope adapted to rest thereon, a head-plate over thecope-section and means for vertically reciprocating it, a ram-platesupported under said head-plate, and means carried by the head-plate andoperated by the pressure on the ram-plate for automatically picking upand raising the cope ofi the pattern-table after the ramming operation.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, apattern-table, a cope-section thereon, a ram-plate above thecope-section and means for forcing it down into the cope-section,meansfor automatically picking up and elevating the cope-section uponrecession of the ramming devices, and means for lowering thecope-section when it is disengaged from the ramming devices, for thepurpose set forth.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, apattern-table, a flask-section adapted to be supported thereon, aramming device supported over the flasksection, a ram-plate movablysupported on this ramming device, and means operated by the movement ofthis ram-plate for engaging the flask-section during the rammingoperation and raising the same upon recession of the ramming device.

5. In a machine of the class described, th combination of a frame, apattern-table, a section of a molding-flask adapted to be supported onthe table, a ramming device supported over the flask-section, aram-plate and means for movably supporting it on the ramming device, andhooks carried by the ramming device and operated by the movement of theram-plate to automatically engage the flask-section during the rammingoperation, whereby when the ramming device recedes the flask will beelevated therewith.

6. In combination, a frame, a pattern-table, a section of amolding-flask thereon, aram device supported over the flask-section, anda movable ram-plate supported on the ramming devices, and pivotal hooksconnected to the ram-plate adapted to be automatically engaged into theflask-section during the ramming operation, and means for disengagingsaid hooks to release the flask.

7. In combination, a frame, a pattern-table, a molding-flask section onthe pattern-table, a ramming device over the pattern-table and means forbringing the two together, a movable ram-plate andmeans operated therebyto engage the flask and cause it to lift the flask-section after theramming operation, and means for releasing the flask.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame,upper and lower ramming devices, an intermediate pattern-table adaptedto support the cope on its upper side and means for attachingthe dragand its bottom board to thelower side,means for simultaneouslyoperatingthe ramming devices,means for releasing the drag and its bottomboard from the pattern-table, and means for lifting the cope-section offthe table after the ramming operation, and means whereby the table maybe moved laterally from between the ramming devices.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame,upper and lower ramming devices and means for simultaneously operatingthem, an intermediate pattern-ta ble and means whereby it may be movedlaterally and inverted, sand supply devices, means for latching the dragand its bottom board to the table when the same is inverted, and meansfor automatically lifting the copesection off the table after theramming operation, and means for releasing the drag-section and itsboard from the lower side of the pattern-table, so that the same mayrecede from the pattern-table.

10. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a frame, a pattern-table carrying-patterns on its upperside and adapted to receive a cope, a ramming-plate supported above saidcope, means for depressing said ramming-plate into the cope, means forautomatically engaging the cope-section during the ramming operation,said means consisting of depending hooks normally held out of the pathof the cope and adapted to be brought into engagement therewith duringthe ramming operation, and means for elevating the ramming-plate andcarrying with it said cope.

11. In a machine of the classdescribed, the combination of a frame,upper and lower ramming devices, a laterallymovable pattern-tablesupported therebetween, means for latching the drag-section to the underside of the table, means for releasing said drag-section from the table,so that said drag may recede with said ramming devices, means forcausing the cope to be raised olt the upper side of the table uponrecession of the upper ramming devices, and means whereby the cope andthe drag may be brought together upon removal of the table.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, apattern-table adapted to support a cope and a pattern on its upper side,a ramming device supported thereover and adapted to move toward the copeand recede therefrom after the ramming coperation, means forautomatically picking up the cope off the table and causing it to beelevated with the ramming devices, and means for releasing the cope fromsaid devices, and means for lowering it away from said ramming devices.1

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, atable adapted to carry a pattern and a cope, vertically-reciprocatingramming devices supported thereover, means for engaging the cope andlifting it off the table upon an upward movement of the ramming devices,and a series of vertically-reciprocating rods normally held up andcarrying means at their lower ends for engaging the cope, whereby thecope may be lowered away from said ramming devices after its releasetherefrom.

14. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame,upper and lower ramming devices and means for simultaneouslyreciprocating them toward each other, an intermediate table carrying on'its upper side one half of a pattern and on its lower side the otherhalf of the pattern, the table being adapted to support the cope on itsupper side, means for latching the drag and its bottom board to thelower side, means whereby the table may be moved laterally from betweenthe ramming devices, and means whereby the upper ramming devices willrelease the cope from the table and means whereby the lower rammingdevices will release the drag from the table, leaving the table free tobe moved laterally out of the way, and means whereby the cope and thedrag may be brought together to complete the mold.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame,upper and lower ramming devices, a laterally-movable patterntablesupported therebetween, means for latching the drag-section to the underside of the table, means for releasing saiddrag-section upon recessionto the lower ramming devices and allowing said drag to recede with saidramming devices, means for causing the cope to be raised elf the upperside of the table upon recession of the upper ramming devices, andmeanswhereby the cope may be lowered onto the drag after the removal ofthe table.

16. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, apattern-table, a flask-section thereon, means for automatically engagingthe fiask-section during the ramming operation and lifting it off thepattern-table upon recession of the ramming de-' vices, and independentdevices for engaging the'flask-section automatically as it ascends andlo'wering it away from the ramming devices when it is releasedtherefrom.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 23d day of September, 1902.

FREDERICK W. HALL.

W'itnesses:

GEORGE HENDREKSON, ETHEL HALL.

